Scott Snyder has spelled out Absolute Batman’s winter schedule on the Casually Comics podcast, as reported by Bleeding Cool (with a companion schedule write-up at Bleeding Cool) on September 28. After the oversized arc finale Absolute Batman #25, the monthly pauses — and a map-of-the-Arks one-shot fills November.
Absolute Batman Beyond Ark-M #1 (Snyder / Frank Tieri / Francesco Francavilla) streets Wednesday, November 18, 2026 for $4.99. Solicit copy frames Professor Pyg’s origin and the Joker’s worldwide Ark network beyond Gotham. Snyder said the issue carries “a really big surprise” that will get people talking about what comes next — he did not name it.
Monthly timing: Absolute Batman #25 is solicited for October 28, 2026 at $5.99 as an oversized finale. Snyder told the podcast it lands at the end of October unless it slips into November. DC planned no December Absolute Batman issue. #26 arrives in January 2027 as a Barbara Gordon spotlight with surprises (artist not locked in the podcast frame). The main Snyder/Nick Dragotta arc resumes with #27 in February 2027 on a “more meditative” pace after the Scarecrow density.
Prior Absolute Batman: Ark-M Special and Absolute Cassandra Cain already sketched Arks A through D plus Ark-M in Gotham. Beyond Ark-M is pitched as the wider map. For the most recent Absolute Batman issue coverage on RCG, see Absolute Batman #24 — The Bat debuts.
For retailers, the FOC-day context on Absolute Batman #25 matters as much as the November special. Snyder and DC planned the December skip because December monthlies are historically soft for walk-in traffic, and the creative team wanted breathing room after a dense Scarecrow/Deathstroke stretch. Beyond Ark-M is the bridge product that keeps Absolute Batman on the stands while the numbered series sits out Christmas.
US readers waiting on the “meditative” February 2027 arc should not expect Snyder to spoil Clayface’s next shape or name who is locked in Ark B. The public record is the solicit dates, the creative teams named above, and Snyder’s on-podcast promise of a conversation-starting surprise inside the November one-shot — nothing more until DC solicits or ships pages.
What we are not saying: we are not inventing the “huge surprise,” locked #26 art credits, or a hard guarantee that #25 cannot slip. Report solicit 10/28/2026 alongside Snyder’s possible November slip note.
